Nature & Wildlife

It is that time of year again for the car and truck to get inspected. This is an annual event here, because the state of Maine requires it. Another annual event here in Maine is our very messy spring mud season. As much as we plan, there is no pleasant way of getting around on the roads here. The paved roads are much affected by freezing and thawing and the many dirt roads we travel are covered with huge crater-like potholes. Many of the roads we have to take to the inspection place are of course dirt roads and boy were we in for an adventure. I made out pretty well in the truck after some pothole avoiding skills and we made it to the inspection place in one piece.

When we got there, we were greeted in the drive by what appeared to be a Chihuahua/Papillon mix and a Chocolate Labrador Retriever. Their mother came down the drive after we did and loaded the dogs up in the car and told us that the Chocolate Lab would most likely come back. She was right. A few minutes later he came back with his tail wagging and his toy duck in his mouth. If you are familiar with this breed, you know how much these dogs love their toys. While the truck and car were being in inspected, I spent some time with the him. We played for a little bit and I was able to some great shots of him. I never caught his name, but he sure was a great model.

On the way home, we decided to stop at Mosher Hill Falls in Farmington. We didn’t really plan on stopping here, so this was going to be a quick visit. It is quite a beautiful and tranquil area. There was some remaining ice and snow on the trail making for a slippery walk and the falls were really flowing due to the much snowfall we had this winter. With the amount of water flowing, we were unable to get to the other side to make it down to the base of the waterfall. I was able to get a couple of shots up at the top and some video as well. You can watch the video here:

Mosher Hill Falls in Farmington, Maine

The following photos are from that day and we hope to get back soon and take our time at the base with a tripod and different lenses for some better shots.

A Chocolate Labrador Standing In The Snow

A Chocolate Lab With A Duck Toy

A Chocolate Lab Sitting In The Grass With His Toy

A Profile Of A Chocolate Labrador Retriever

A Side View Of A Labrador Retriever

A Chocolate Labrador Retriever Making Direct Eye Contact With The Camera

A Chocolate Lab Chewing On His Toy

Mosher Hill Falls In Farmigton, Maine

A Tranquil Scene Of Water Surrounded By Pines and Hemlocks

The Top Of Mosher Hill Falls In The Spring

A View Of The Top Of Mosher Hill Falls Through The Trees

Although spring has technically arrived several weeks ago, it sure hasn’t felt like it until today. We still have some snow on the ground here, but the weather is really starting to warm up. A few of our annual visitors have arrived such as the American woodcock (Scolopax minor) and the eastern phoebes (Sayornis phoebe) while others have moved on for the summer. Those who have moved on are the dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). I looked out the window today and discovered the daffodils (Narcissus) have finally begun to bloom in the front yard. I suppose with all the nice rain we’ve been experiencing these past couple of days, we will start to see many things wake up from the dormancy of this winter.

As I was grabbing my camera to get a few shots of the daffodils, I spotted a new bird outside. I couldn’t believe it, our first eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis). Not only was the male here, but the female as well! During our almost five years here, I have never seen bluebirds so close to the house. I’m hoping they were looking for a nesting site nearby and they will stay close by in one of our bird boxes. The house came with a bluebird box that used to be attached to the front of the house. We moved it to the back of the garage, because the front of the house gets too much sun. It is now facing southeast, where there is nice shade next to the treeline. The house also came with an old wooden mailbox that wasn’t very practical. It didn’t have a door or flag, so we decided to put a front wood panel on it with a hole and made it into a bird box. It is now sitting in one of the gardens in the front of the house and we are hoping for birds to nest inside. Although, I fear we will either have wasps or hornets taking up residence inside it this summer.

While I was outside, I decided to see what was going on at the pond. I noticed a few branches of a birch tree were moving up and down and discovered a yellow-rumped warbler (Setophaga coronata) hopping from branch to branch. This is the same character who had shown up a few days ago perched on the back fence close to the house. I keep a bird journal and I wanted to add this guy to my list, but he doesn’t stick around long enough for me to make a positive identification. I made a quick mental note of a few field markings such as the gray and white color, along with the bright yellow rump and yellow on its sides. There are two distinct species of yellow-rumped Warblers. Here in the eastern U.S. we have the “myrtle” warbler and in the mountainous west, the “audubon” warbler.

Anyway, back to pond, I was able to get a quick shot of the warbler and then he flew into the woods. After looking at the photograph I had taken, I’m pretty sure this is a Yellow-rumped warbler. I hope he stays around this season and I can get better photographs of him.

Before we ran out of daylight, we went for our daily walk and of course, I had my camera with me. We saw a ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) fly out of the woods, which I didn’t get a photograph of, but I did get a quick shot of an American robin (Turdus migratorius) and an American red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). The following photographs are from a great day and start to a new season.

Our last bit of snow in the front yard.

An American woodcock (Scolopax minor) sitting in some leaves.

An eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)

Common names for the family of (Amaryllidaceae) include daffodil, daffadowndilly, narcissus and jonquil.

Daffodils (Narcissus) are quite versatile, because they will grow in sun, part sun and shade.

Daffodils (Narcissus) are winter hardy in zones 3-8.

Daffodils (Narcissus) will bloom before most perennials will begin to appear.

Daffodils are traditionally planted in yards and gardens and are deer resistant.

A male eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) perching on a wooden post.

The eastern bluebird is a small thrush with a large, rounded head, large eyes and plump body with an alert posture.

Male eastern bluebirds are a bright deep blue above with a rusty orange color on the throat and breast.

A female eastern bluebird perching on a wooden post.

A female eastern bluebird preening herself.

Female eastern bluebirds are a grayish color above with bluish wings and tail and a light orange-brown breast.

Eastern bluebirds live in meadows and open areas surrounded by trees that offer nest holes.

Eastern Bluebirds will perch on wires, posts and low branches searching the ground for prey.

A green bluebird box.

An old mailbox converted into a bird house.

A yellow-rumped warbler (Setophaga oronata) perching in a birch tree (Betula).

A perching American robin (Turdus migratorius).

An American red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).

When putting out feeders for the birds, you also have to consider other critters showing up for a free meal. I lucked out for a while without anyone showing up other than the birds. We now have the occasional raccoon (Procyon lotor), skunk family (Mephitidae), eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus Carolinensis), American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) and northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus), showing up to the feeders. I now bring in the feeders at night and put them out again first thing in the morning. This practice seems to have helped with cutting down on these unwanted visitors, but we humans can’t control everything, especially nature. Here are a few shots of a visit from an eastern gray squirrel during our last snow storm here in Maine. This little troublemaker stuck to the ground looking for fallen bird seed, but as always, proceeded to climb the fence for easy launching onto the bird feeders. We had a bit of a staring contest and with no luck on the squirrel’s part, it took off. I may have won this battle, but not the war. If you have any critter stories pertaining to your bird feeders that you would like to share, please feel free to leave them in the comment section below.

The eastern gray squirrel or gray squirrel is a tree squirrel belonging to the genus (Scirus).

Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), can be found in the eastern and midwestern United States and southern parts of the eastern provinces of Canada.

The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), is the most widely distributed of the five North American members of the genus.

(Sciurus), is derived from the two Greek words, skia, meaning shadow, and oura, meaning tail. The meaning of the name refers to the squirrel sitting in the shadow of its tail.

The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), is a small mammal with gray or brownish fur on its back, white fur on its underside and a large bushy tail.

Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), are mostly active during the day and can adapt to a wide variety of habitats. They will eat a range of foods depending on the availability of the season. Their diet includes tree bark, tree buds, berries, many types of seeds, acorns, walnuts, hickory nuts, beechnuts, butternuts and some types of fungi. Nuts are gathered singly and buried in the ground, usually somewhere near the source tree. They will use bird feeders to find their food during the winter.

Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), prefer constructing their dens in large tree branches and within the hollow trunks of trees. They will also take shelter within abandoned bird nests. The dens are usually lined with moss plants, thistledown, dried grass and feathers. This helps provide in the insulation of the den and perhaps reduces heat loss. A cover for the den is usually built afterward.

Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), build nests that are called the drey or dray. These nests are constructed in the forks of trees. The drey is made up of dry leaves and twigs. The will also build their nest in the exterior walls of houses.

Breeding and mating can occur twice each year for eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis). One season starts from December to February and again in June to July. The gestation period is 45 days. The average litter size is 3 young, called kits or kittens. Females will defend their nests aggressively from other squirrels and predators, while caring for their young.

The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), has the ability to leap from tree to tree. They have sharp claws that aid them in grasping and climbing trees. They are also one of the few mammalian species that can descend a tree head-first. It does this by turning its feet so the claws of its hind paws are backward-pointing and can grip the tree bark easily.

These squirrels can live to be 20 years old in captivity, but in the wild, live expectancy is much shorter due to predation and habitat. At birth, their life expectancy is 1–2 years and adults typically can live to be 6 years, with some exceptions making it to 12 years. Predators include the American mink (Neovison vison), weasels (Mustelidae), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), bobcats (Lynx rufus), gray wolves (Canis lupus), coyotes (Canis latrans), lynx (Lynx), and birds of prey, such as Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis).

We have been experiencing such beautiful weather here in Maine this winter and have been able to take advantage of really great hiking opportunities. With such little snowfall and mild weather so far, we have been able to hike with just hiking boots and dressing in light layers. Our route included starting from the parking area at the Airport Trailhead, walking up Carriage and Gauge Road to The Gauge Trailhead and then making our way to the Maine Hut Trail and then looping back to Carriage Road. Here are a few pictures of another great day out in nature and getting some sunshine.

Carriage Road

The Poplar Stream Road Sign

Gauge Road

The Gauge Ridge Road Bridge

Poplar Stream Covered In Snow

A Snowmobile Trail Sign

The Gauge Road Trailhead

The Gauge Road Trailhead Sign

Hiking The Gauge Road Trailhead

The Poplar Hut Sign

Winter Hiking Along Poplar Stream

A Snow Covered Gauge Road Trailhead

Maine Hut Trail

Hiking Up The Maine Hut Trail

Hiking Uphill On The Maine Hut Trail

A Snowshoe Trail Off The Maine Hut Trail

Hikers And A Cross Country Skier Enjoying The Maine Hut Trail

Hikers With Their Dog

Jess, Who Works At The Poplar Hut And A Good Sport For Posing For This Picture

A Wooden Bridge

Hiking Back To Carriage Road

Bigelow Mountain Preserve Covered In Snow

A View Of Bigelow Mountain Preserve Through The Trees

Another View Of Bigelow Mountain Preserve From The Parking Area At The Airport Trailhead

A View Of A Nice And Modest Looking House On Little Michael Brook Road

My New Hiking Boots Holding Up Nicely In The Snow